‘Tis the season for experimenting with red, green, and all things in between STEM style! We have all the fun science experiments to bring joy and learning this holiday season. With activities for middle school-aged kids to try at home with their families and friends, or teachers to add to their end-of-the-year lesson plans. From useful engineering skills and chemistry lessons to gingerbread from scratch and candy cane experiments, all your teens will feel the Christmas STEM spirit! Pick a few fun activities out of our 33 recommendations and have a happy and educational holiday season.
1. Flying STEM Marshmallows!
Here is a mini version of a catapult activity your teens can attempt with snowballs once they have successfully launched these fluffy flyers! You’ll need some simple materials for assembling: a fork/spoon, craft sticks, rubber bands, and mini marshmallows.
Learn More: Team Cartwright
2. Dissolving Peppermint Candies
Now here is a good-smelling activity that is easy and colorful for kids of all ages. The purpose is to see how the candies react to the warm water at the bottom of the plate. Your students will love watching the red and white colors bleed together creating a Christmas wreath design.
Learn More: Mombrite
3. Fizzy Cookies
Here is a fizz-tastic activity for kids to show them how different substances react to one another. For this experiment, fizzy shapes are created by filling holiday cookie cutters with baking soda, then mixing vinegar with food coloring and dripping the liquid into the baking soda.
Learn More: Inspiration Laboratories
4. Floating Jingle Bells
There are a few variations to this Christmas-themed science experiment you can try depending on your available materials. This version uses clear, carbonated soda in a glass jar. Watch your little bells float and dance around in the liquid and add food coloring for a visual effect!
Learn More: Modern Preschool
5. DIY Crystal Snowflakes
The key to this fun chemistry lesson that will give you cool ornaments is borax crystals! First, help your middle schoolers design their snowflake using pipe cleaners. Then, boil some water, pour it into glass jars, and add borax powder. Once the powder is dissolved, place the snowflakes in the water and leave them until they are covered in beautiful crystals!
Learn More: Go Science Girls
6. Gumdrop Construction
Let’s work on building skills with this gum drop project as a simple and edible lesson on engineering and motor skills. All you’ll need are toothpicks, gum drops, and a flat surface to build on!
Learn More: Lemon Lime Adventures
7. DIY Crystal Christmas Tree
A STEM project using critical thinking skills and science to create your own mini snow-covered Christmas trees! There are a few steps to this process, first building the tree and mixing the solution, then placing the tree inside and leaving overnight for the crystals to form!
Learn More: Playdough to Plato
8. Poinsettia Chemistry Project
This age-appropriate Christmas STEM activity uses beautiful materials to test the pH of different liquids. The flowers and leaves of a poinsettia are a vibrant red that can be boiled, dried, and used as an indicator for pH. DIY your test strips and drip some household liquids to test if they are an acid or a base.
Learn More: Teach Beside Me
9. DIY Balloon and Yarn Ornaments
Your students will be obsessed with these creative DIY ornaments and the design process behind them all. Each step is hands-on, from blowing up the balloons and wrapping them in yarn, to gluing them in place to dry, then popping the balloons to reveal the final product!
Learn More: Lemon Lime Adventures
10. Gingerbread House Engineering
Experimenting with engineering and design is such an essential skill for young learners to develop. This holiday season, grab all the edible materials you can find and let your little builders imagine and create their own gingerbread house from scratch.
Learn More: Science Kiddo
11. Racing Rudolph
Time for a little friendly competition with this fun STEM activity focused on physics and art skills. First, provide the craft materials needed to make your balloon Rudolphs. Once assembled, tie your string so it’s elevated across the room and blow up the balloons, place them on the string and release the opening to let the air propel the balloons forward.
Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me
12. Gingerbread Dissolve Experiment
You can let your learners help pick the liquids they want to test for this holiday season-inspired STEM activity. The example uses milk, vinegar, and water mixed with household substances like baking soda. You can make your own gingerbread cookies or buy them at the store and see how they react when placed in various liquids.
Learn More: Jennifer Findley
13. Cranberries and Soap Science
These delicious berries are a staple in many holiday drinks and dishes, but did you know they are filled with air bubbles that react when heated? Experiment with this idea by boiling cranberries and watching them dance and pop open! An extension activity to further demonstrate is placing ivory soap in the microwave for a similar reaction.
Learn More: Stir the Wonder
14. Dissolving Candy Canes
Similar to what we did with gingerbread, this experiment tests out which substances dissolve candy canes the fastest! Try out some liquids you have in your classroom or house and see which react the strongest.
Learn More: Lemon Lime Adventures
15. Geoboard Christmas Tree
Here is a favorite activity we like to do in class to promote math and hands-on building skills. For the Christmas version, use a styrofoam cone as your tree, some pins/nails, and green rubber bands. Watch as your students work in pairs to design and decorate their geometric trees!
Learn More: The Imagination Tree
16. Build Your Sleigh!
It’s almost Christmas and (mini) Santa needs a sleigh for all the tiny presents! Give your builders plenty of popsicle sticks and see how they design and assemble their sleighs. Once everyone is finished, test each sleigh by placing toys or other small objects on top.
Learn More: Mrs. Willyerd
17. Stretchy Snowmen!
The video is great for explaining, but the basic idea of this fantastic classroom challenge is to build the tallest snowman using different materials. There are specific rules to follow, so watch and try them with your students!
Learn More: Youtube
18. Hot Chocolate Experiment
Hot chocolate is the best drink for cold, snowy nights in the winter, and now we can have some STEM fun before downing our cups! We are testing to see how the cocoa powder dissolves in different temperatures of water. Use a timer to monitor the wait time and stir each cup equally for the best results!
Learn More: Creative Family
19. Jingle Bell Maze
Look no further for a hands-on Christmas science activity that will entertain your learners as they build their maze and then test it out! Find a few cardboard boxes and give the groups straws and tape to create their own maze for jingle bells to roll through.
Learn More: Carly and Adam
20. Flying Reindeer
Using basic household and craft supplies, a bit of imagination, and a little air, your students will see flying reindeer this Christmas! Check out the link to see what materials you’ll need and how to assemble mini reindeer from toilet paper rolls, pipe cleaners, and balloons.
Learn More: Team Cartwright
21. Growing the Grinch’s Heart
A simple and fun activity to do in the classroom where students can work in pairs or groups to complete each step of the experiment. This Christmas-themed demonstration shows how baking soda and vinegar react when combined inside of a balloon. Try it out for yourself and watch your students’ smiles grow along with the Grinch’s heart!
Learn More: Creative Family Fun
22. Light-Up Circuit Science
Art and science are two peas in a pod, so it is only fitting to try out some projects that combine the two. Watch this video to learn how to build a simple circuit, then choose an image or picture you want to illuminate and arrange for an amazing light display!
Learn More: Learning Hypothesis
23. Apple Butter Chemistry
The best experiments are ones you can eat! There are a few lessons to reference when trying to make an apple butter recipe. Teach your learners about pectin and how it reacts with substances to bind and solidify. Then try out the finished product together on crackers!
Learn More: Learning Hypothesis
24. Melting and Thermal Insulation
Bring some ice cubes to class and give your students a printable prompting them to choose two materials to wrap their ice with and see which is best at preventing the ice from melting.
Learn More: The Science Penguin
25. Chocolate Milk vs. Chocolate Water
The scientific question is whether mini marshmallows will melt faster in hot cocoa made with milk or made with water. Make sure the liquids are the same amount, heated to the same temperature, then drop in your marshmallows and see the results!
Learn More: A Dab of Glue Will Do
26. Sweet Snowflake Science
Get ready for some beautiful one-of-a-kind snowflake designs in this STEAM activity for kids of all ages. Give them paper and scissors to cut out a circle then let them explore their creative expression by using glue and q-tips to outline their snowflake.
Learn More: Green Kid Crafts
27. Snowstorm in a Jar
Don’t have snow where you live? Not to worry! This chemistry experiment will bring the excitement of snow into your hands with a little science and a lot of fun! Combine a few household substances such as baby oil, paint, and fizzy tablets to create this awesome snowstorm!
Learn More: Mombrite
28. Exploding Santa
Let’s be honest, kids love explosions! Grab some ziplock baggies, use markers to draw Santa or another Christmas character, and prepare your mind to be blown! Using baking soda and vinegar will create a fizzy expansion while the food coloring brings the reaction to life!
Learn More: Science Kiddo
29. Ice Cream in a Bag!
Edible experiments are the best! This recipe uses simple ingredients, science, and lots of shaking to create delicious ice cream. The secret is salt and ice rapidly cooling the creamy mixture in minutes.
Learn More: The Best Ideas for Kids
30. LEGO Santa Sleigh Challenge
LEGOs make for a fun building activity that kids can get innovative and creative with how they combine their pieces. Give each team a set of LEGOs and set a timer to see who can design and build a sleigh ready for Christmas Eve!
Learn More: Left Brain Craft Brain
31. Tangram Cookies
Geometry, design, and baking are all incorporated in this delicious Christmas engineering project! Make the dough and then help your learners cut into various triangle shapes to combine and make geometrical shapes!
Learn More: Left Brain Craft Brain
32. DIY Christmas Slime
Slime is such a fun project to make with students of any age. It is something they can hold and mold, shape and share, for all sorts of building and hands-on learning games.
Learn More: Team Cartwright
33. Grow Your Own Christmas Tree
We saved the best for last with this super simple but amazing growing project! Cut a regular sponge into the shape of a Christmas tree, dip it in water, and press grass seed into the tree to watch over the next few weeks as your tree comes to life!
Learn More: Gift of Curiosity
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